Modular computing systems contain many boards and/or interconnects (hereinafter referred to as “boards”) that can be easily inserted and removed from a rack (chassis). These systems provide large amounts of processing in a small environment. The boards within the rack will require cooling. High processing components on the boards will generate the most heat and will require the most cooling. As the modular computing systems are tightly bundled the effectiveness of heat sink technology is limited by the limited space available. The chassis' will be designed to provide airflow for cooling of components.
The chassis' are often governed by standards, such as the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG), Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) Base Specification, PIGMG 3.0 Revision 1.0, published Dec. 30, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as “the ATCA specification”). Accordingly, the airflow design of the chassis may not be optimized for any particular use. Accordingly, the airflow may not be efficient for particular boards. Furthermore, the airflow through the slots may not be evenly distributed. Moreover, as the processing power of the boards and the associated heat generation of the boards increases, the chassis may not provide sufficient airflow to provide cooling for these heat generating components.